Yes but you can only run one at a time and to switch to the other, you need to reboot.

except if you install one system in a virtual machine (e.g. with virtualbox). That's in fact a good way to get familiar with Linux the first time, being aware that the performance with virtualization will never be the same as with a full install.

Yes but you can only run one at a time and to switch to the other, you need to reboot.

except if you install one system in a virtual machine (e.g. with virtualbox). That's in fact a good way to get familiar with Linux the first time, being aware that the performance with virtualization will never be the same as with a full install.

True but if the OP is unsure about dual-boot, then virtual machines may be to much for one day.

In my opinion, by far the easiest way to run both Linux and Windows on the same computer is to install a distro of Linux onto a big flash drive (32 GB should be big enough), then boot the computer to the flash drive. Because the flash drive is a type of solid state drive (SSD), it will run pretty fast, probably faster than your hard drive. Also, any changes you make while in Linux will be saved on the flash drive, so you won't have to start over from scratch every time you reboot the computer. Finally, it should be pretty easy to backup your Linux install, simply by making a copy of the flash drive. (I say "should", because I've never done it myself.)

In order to do this, you'll need to do the following:

1. Go into your computer's setup screen, and make sure that "external device" (i.e. the flash drive) comes before the hard drive in the boot order. (While you're in the setup screen, you should also put CD/DVD ahead of the hard drive in the boot order, even though that isn't needed for what we are doing here.) Doing this will make it possible for your computer to boot from the flash drive rather than from the hard drive.

2. Decide which Linux distro you want to try out. A lot of people like Linux Mint. If your computer has at least 4 GB of RAM, then go with Linux Mint Cinnamon 64-bit. If it has only 2 GB of RAM, then go with either Linux Lite 32-bit or Linux Mint xfce 32-bit. (Linux Lite is the lighter of the two and will likely run better on a really old computer.) You can get Linux Mint here: https://linuxmint.com/download.php. You can get Linux Lite here: https://linuxliteos.com/index.html. (My old 2GB computer runs well with Linux Lite 32-bit.) Click on the download link and choose where you want to save the download on your hard drive. It will copy an .ISO file to your hard drive. If you're not sure which Linux distro to pick, just "flip a coin". You can easily change to something else later.

3. Download and install the Universal USB Installer: https://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal ... -as-1-2-3/. This program will allow you to create a Linux Live USB drive from the .ISO file you downloaded in the previous step. When you are creating the Linux Live USB drive, be sure to do step 4 (Set a Persistent file size for storing changes). By setting up a Persistent file size, any changes you make while in Linux will be saved to the flash drive. Note: make sure you select the correct drive letter for the flash drive in Step 3! And if you want to erase the flash drive before doing this, check the box to Format the drive.

4. Once you have created the Linux Live flash drive, leave the flash drive plugged into the computer and shut down and restart the computer. As soon as the initial splash screen disappears, watch for the message asking you to hit any key to boot from the external device. When you see it, hit a key on the keyboard. If a menu appears, choose the option for booting into Linux normally.

Steps 1 through 3 are only for the first time you do this. After the first time, you'll only need to do step 4 whenever you boot the computer.

Agree and disagree. A persistent drive is okay for test drives, but not well suited to long term use. Also, no point using a 32 GB flash drive when only 4 GB can be persistent. Which is to say, if Lee wants to try this, he can use any drive he might have in a drawer already.

By the way, Lee, what's your experience level? There are several ways to do this, but which makes sense depends on where you're coming from.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
Running Mate 18.3 64 bit (by upgrade from 18.1-2)